A Marquee Wedding on the Mississippi: Taylor & Taylor

Not since a teenage Taylor Swift had a brief romantic dalliance with Twilight star Taylor Lautner, have we been so excited about a Taylor Squared coupling! Thankfully this Taylor & Taylor have gone the distance - despite nearly not getting together on account of their names - and today we get to swoon over their beautiful real wedding. If, like us, you’re obsessed with romantic style, beautiful reception décor and thoughtful details, their marquee wedding - set up in the idyllic backyard of the brides’ parents’ home on the Mississippi River - is one you NEED to see! Photography duo Jeff Loves Jessica did the most amazing job at bringing it to life.

First, we catch up with Taylor (bride Taylor, that is!) to hear all about how these two met, “T and I grew up five miles away from each other and went to the same high school. We didn’t officially meet until we were in college when our best friends tried to set us up. We were both really against the idea since we have the same name. How could that ever work?! After our first date, we knew it was fate - and the rest is history!"

And we had to ask, how has having the same name panned out?! "Oddly enough, having the same name has brought more laughter to our lives that I thought possible. #twotaylorsonewedding” she jokes.

Our first glimpse of the bride tribe's gorgeous gowns.

When the time came to pop the question, groom Taylor had a plan that thankfully aroused no suspicion from from his bride-to-be, as she explains; “T asked if I would like to go fishing with him on the Mississippi River (in January, mind you) behind my parent’s house. It never occurred to me that people don’t fish on the river in the middle of winter. As we were walking to the fishing spot on my parent’s property, he stopped on a bridge over a creek and got down on one knee. I was totally surprised and was even more overjoyed to know that he had set up a dinner with both of our families to celebrate. It was a perfect day.”

What a gorgeous bride! Taylor's bridal look was elegant and romantic to tie in with the rest of the decor.

The couple chose to share an intimate first look moment before the ceremony, right in the spot where they got engaged.

Taylor describes the couple's approach to wedding planning.“I wanted our wedding to be completely unique, detail-focused, and most importantly, a fun celebration that people would always remember. I think we accomplished that!”

Deciding the perfect place for their reception was an easy one for these two, as they had the most beautiful spot, quite literally, on their doorstep. “The fact that it was a tent on my parent’s property overlooking a body of water. Could there be anything better? It was so personal and beautiful and everything we dreamed it would be.”

Check out those napkins! This wedding is full of lovely details, including Instagram-worthy copper Moscow mule cups for cocktails.

Taylor tells us how she felt when she first saw the reception tent in her family's garden (and it's exactly how we felt when we saw the pictures of it!), “I was completely taken aback the first time I walked into our reception tent. Every table overlooked the river and the soft lighting, draping, candles and amazing flowers all created an amazingly beautiful scene that I will never forget.”

The reception tent looks like something out of 1920s France!

Simple white and pink blooms created a romantic tablescape for guests to enjoy.

Tying in with their stationery, the couple gave antique-style brass compasses as favours - to help guests find their way in life.

Taylor says they tried to include their own style and touches throughout their day, “We tried to make our wedding as much of a reflection of us as possible. Having a great family friend officiate our wedding was so special! The reception was also so personal since it was at my parent’s home. Even though there were nearly 400 people there, it felt like an intimate Great Gatsby-esque affair.”

The couple had some advice for others planning a day of their own, “Hire a videographer and a wedding coordinator if you can afford it. You won’t regret either!”

"Made with Love" - a cute little pot of homemade jam to make the day all the more sweet!

Pretty details on the guestbook table.

love the idea of a sweetheart chair for the bride and groom!

The couple headed to California for the post-wedding getaway, “We honeymooned on Coronado Island near San Diego. We had an amazing time!”.

This wedding was full of inspiring details. Huge thanks to Jeff Loves Jessica for sharing it with us. We wish Tay-squared all the very best in the future!